


Baby swimming

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Flufftober [13]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Aaron & Seb bonding, Family Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26988541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Flufftober day 13: Carrying
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Series: Flufftober [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947490
Comments: 17
Kudos: 140





	Baby swimming

**Author's Note:**

> Set shortly after reunion 2.0

Ever since he was born, Seb hated being put to bed or in his pram.

He was a curious kid and liked to see what was going on around him. He liked to be carried around so he could keep an eye on things.

It was only when he was absolutely dead to the world, that he accepted anything less.

Also he’d quickly discovered both his dad and Aaron (who was basically his dad too by now) were big pushovers and would basically hold him and carry him around all day if it meant he wouldn’t cry.

And Aaron would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the effect it had on Robert’s arms and shoulders.

However, it was also the reason why he was currently having breakfast with one hand, while bouncing Seb up and down on his knee and holding him with the other.

It had become a habit and he barely even noticed doing it anymore.

“Are you sure you’re going to be ok? I can always ask Diane or Vic to come take him off your hands? Maybe around noon? So you’ll have the afternoon to yourself?”

Aaron frowned.

“Why would you do that?”

“So you wouldn’t have to deal with a 5 month old all day.”

“I don’t mind. I’ve told you plenty of times. If we’re really doing this, you’re going to have to believe me when I say I don’t mind spending time with him. With you or on my own.”

“I know…” Robert sighed. “I just…”

“Stress yourself out over nothing?”

“Don’t want to force him on you.”

“You’re not. We’ve got big plans, haven’t we Seb?” Aaron said, tickling the little boy to make him laugh. “We’re going swimming.”

“Swimming? Isn’t he a bit young for that?”

“No, I did some research online. You can go swimming with kids as young as 2 months. And they usually enjoy it.”

“Right.” Robert didn’t look convinced.

“They have a special baby swimming thing at the pool in Hotten. It starts at 10 and you can just go and let them splash about for an hour or two.”

“You really did do research didn’t you?”

“Yeah…” Aaron blushed slightly “I thought it would be nice… get out of the house and the village for a bit. And I always loved swimming as a kid.”

“Yeah, me too.” Robert said and glanced at the clock on the wall. “And I have to go now or I’ll never make it to this conference on time.” He leaned down and kissed first Aaron and then Seb. “I’ll pick up food on the way back, ok? That Chinese place went to last year is just around the corner.”

“Sure. Sounds good.” Aaron agreed. “Now go. And don’t stress about us, we’ll be fine.”

Robert hesitated for a moment but then grabbed his coat and keys and walked out the door, throwing an “I’ll call you at lunchtime.” Over his shoulder before he closed the door behind him.

“Alright mate, it’s just you and me now. Let me finish my breakfast and then we’ll go grab our stuff and get going. See how you like the pool.”

He finished his breakfast and took Seb upstairs to get ready. He put the little boy down on his and Robert’s bed and dug around in their wardrobe for some clean clothes and his swim shorts.

“I know, I’m sorry. Just give me a minute. I need two hands here.” He said to an indignant Seb who was not happy about being put down and left to his own devices for even a few minutes.

Aaron had found his swim shorts easily but was now trying to decide if he should take a shirt. Apart from Robert, nobody had seen him without a shirt in years. Even during the height of summer he’d keep his shirt on. His scars were way less obvious now than they had been, but he still felt kind of self-conscious about them.

Seb gave another unhappy wail and snapped Aaron out of his thoughts. He scooped the boy up.

“You’re right, I’m taking too long with this and it doesn’t even matter, does it?” he grabbed his swim shorts and a towel with his free hand and walked to Seb’s room to get the swim shorts and inflatable arm bands he had bought for him.

He dressed Seb in some comfy clothes that were easy enough to change him out of and stuffed their swim gear in a bag.

“Come on, trouble, let’s go.”

They got to the pool a little after half 10, and thankfully it wasn’t very busy. Seb was very interested in the new surroundings and too distracted to kick up a fuss when Aaron put him down to change him into his swim nappy and shorts.

After putting their stuff in a locker, Aaron carefully made his way to the pool with Seb in his arms. There were steps leading into the water and he sat down on the first one that was actually submerged.

The water was warm and maybe only reached his waist at the deepest part of the pool.

“What do you think mate? Are you ready to give this a try?”

He moved Seb from his arms down to his lap and carefully watched the boy’s face for any hint of discomfort.

“It’s just like the bath at home isn’t it? Just a few less bubbles. And a little bigger.”

Seb was absolutely mesmerised by the water, even more so when Aaron made waves with his hand and it splashed over his little legs.

“Yeah this is fun isn’t it? Why don’t you try it?”

He patted the water and splashed some more water onto Seb’s legs and tummy. For a second it looked like he was going to cry, but then he giggled and started copying Aaron.

Aaron smiled, watching the little boy splash around.

“Do you want to go a little further in?” He asked and carefully moved to a lower step. The water reached Seb’s waist now and Aaron held him tight while still letting him explore the pool.

Seb, as it turned out, was a true water child, and absolutely loved the pool and everything about it. Aaron put him in a pool float shaped like a big tire with a little seat and leg holes, and soon Seb was zooming around the pool like he was born there.

Aaron dived down and swam underneath him, only to appear on his other side a few times, making the boy laugh when he shook the water from his hair.

Before they knew it, the end of baby swimming was announced over the pool’s sound system and Aaron reluctantly swam to the edge of the pool, pulling Seb along in his tire.

“That’s it for today, mate. We can come back another time.” He lifted Seb up out of the water. “Maybe next time daddy will want to come along.”

Seb was having none of it and getting closer to throwing a full on tantrum with every step Aaron took away from the pool and towards the changing rooms. He wriggled in his arms, trying to get free to go back.

“Seb, no.” Aaron warned him, shifting him to get a tighter grip. “We’re going home now, ok? We’ll come back another time, I promise.”

“That’s the hard part isn’t it? Getting them out of the water and back into the car.” A man carrying a child a little older than Seb commented laughingly.

“Uh… yeah. It’s his first time in the pool. I think he liked it.”

“Yeah? That’s good. This one screamed bloody murder for half an hour the first time. And then he realised that the water wouldn’t hurt him and it wasn’t actually different from the water in the bath at home.” The man chuckled.

“Yeah that’s what I told him too. That it’s just like his bath. I think he understood.” Aaron said and looked at Seb. “I’m always talking to him, I’m not sure how much of it he actually understands though… but he likes being the centre of attention, don’t you?”

“Babies understand more than you think. And talking to them and reading to them helps them develop faster when they start learning to talk.” The man said. “Or at least that’s what the baby books my husband bought all say.” He laughed and extended his hand to Aaron. “I’m Stephen. And this is Mason.” He nodded at the little boy on his arm.

“I’m Aaron. And this menace here is Sebastian. Seb for short.” They shook hands and exchanged nice to meet yous.

“The baby swimming is every Tuesday and Thursday.” Stephen told him. “Mason and I try to come down on both days.”

Aaron nodded.

“I uh… haven’t decided yet. He seems to like the water though, don’t you Seb?”

“Just convince your daddy to come back on Thursday.” Stephen winked at Seb. “We could do with some more dads around here.”

Seb babbled at Stephen like he was replying to him.

“I think he agrees.”

Aaron looked at Seb in his arms and smiled. It was the first time anyone, besides himself, in his head, had referred to him as Seb’s dad, and he had to admit that he liked how it sounded. It felt right.

“Well, I guess we’ll be coming back on Thursday then.”


End file.
